OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss closer collaboration on artificial intelligence. Citing the UAE state news agency, Reuters reported the talks focused on expanding cooperation between OpenAI and Emirati partners, with an emphasis on AI research and real-world uses. The agency said this aligns with the UAE’s plan to build an integrated AI ecosystem that supports development goals and a knowledge-based economy.
The UAE is investing heavily to position itself as a global AI center. The country is building one of the world’s largest AI data centers and developing a new Arabic-language model to serve regional needs. It is also leveraging close ties with the United States to secure access to advanced technology. In May, the two countries announced an agreement for the UAE to construct one of the biggest AI campuses outside the U.S., unveiled during President Donald Trump’s visit to Abu Dhabi.
Regional competition is intensifying. As of early 2025, Saudi Arabia’s existing data-center capacity exceeded 300 megawatts versus the UAE’s 250-plus megawatts, but planned projects widen the gap: Saudi Arabia is targeting about 2,200 megawatts of upcoming capacity compared with roughly 500 megawatts for the UAE. Preparedness also varies across the Middle East. Data from the International Institute of Strategic Studies ranks Israel first, followed by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, while most other countries in the region trail by a wide margin.
The meeting comes as OpenAI rolls out the latest version of ChatGPT and pursues a strategy to make intelligence more “abundant” by scaling infrastructure. That push is backed by large-scale industry commitments, including Nvidia’s planned $100 billion investment to expand compute for OpenAI, underscoring how partnerships between governments and leading AI companies are shaping global capabilities. Altman’s talks in Abu Dhabi signal the UAE’s intent to pair capital and infrastructure with top research to accelerate AI adoption across sectors, from public services to industry.
